343 
PLANT-LORE OF SHAKESPEARE 
But even in Shakespeare’s time this high character had 
somewhat abated, though it was still used for all medicines 
in which a strong bitter was recommended. But its chief use 
seems to have been as a protection against insects of all kinds, 
who might very reasonably be supposed to avoid such a bitter 
food. This is Tusser’s advice about the plant—* 
“ While Wormwood hath seed get a handful or twaine 
To save against March, to make flea to refraine : 
Where chamber is sweeped and Wormwood is strowne, 
No flea, for his life, dare abide to be knowne. 
What saver is better (if physick be true), 
For places infected than Wormwood and Rue? 
It is as a comfort for hart and the braine, 
And therefore to have it, it is not in vain z A—July's Husbandry. 
This quality was the origin of the names of Mugwort 1 and 
Wormwood. Its other name (in the Stockholm MS. referred 
to), Avoyne or Averoyne is a corruption of the specific name 
of one of the species, A. Abrotanum. Southernwood is the 
southern Wormwood, i. e. the foreign, as distinguished from 
the native plant. The modern name for the same species is 
Boy’s Love, or Old Man. The last name may have come 
from its hoary leaves, though different explanations are given : 
the other name is given to it, according to Dr. Prior, “ from 
an ointment made with its ashes being used by young men to 
promote the growth of a beard.” There is good authority for 
this derivation, but I think the name may have been given for 
other reasons. “ Boy’s Love ” is one of the most favourite 
cottage-garden plants, and it enters largely into the rustic 
language of flowers. No posy presented by a young man to his 
lass is complete without Boy’s Love; and it is an emblem of 
fidelity, at least it was so once. It is, in fact, a Forget-me-Not, 
1 In connection with Mugwort there is a most curious account of the 
formation of a plant name given in a note in the “ Promptorium Par- 
vulorum,” s.v. Mugworte : “Mugwort, al on as seyn some, Modirwort; 
lewed folk that in manye words conne no rygt sownyge, but ofte shortyn 
wordys, and changyn lettrys and silablys, they coruptyn the o in to a and 
d in to^-, and syncopyn i smytyn a-wey i and r and seyn mugwort.”— 
Arundel MS. 42, f. 35 v. 
